Barbara J. Rothstein

Born 1939 in Brooklyn, NY

Federal Judicial Service:
Judge, U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington
Nominated by Jimmy Carter on December 3, 1979, to a new seat authorized by 92 Stat. 1629. Confirmed by the Senate on February 20, 1980, and received commission on February 20, 1980. Served as chief judge, 1987-1994. Assumed senior status on September 1, 2011.

Education:
Cornell University, B.A., 1960
Harvard Law School, LL.B., 1966

Professional Career:
Private practice, Boston, Massachusetts, 1966-1968
Assistant attorney general and chief trial attorney, Consumer Protection and Antitrust Division, State of Washington, 1968-1977
Adjunct professor, University of Washington Law School, 1975-1977
Judge, Superior Court of the State of Washington, King County, 1977-1980
Director, Federal Judicial Center, 2003-2011

After law school she practiced law with a private firm in Boston, Massachusetts and with the Consumer Protection and Antitrust Division of the State of Washington’s Attorney General’s office. Judge Rothstein taught trial practice at the University of Washington Law School. Before her appointment to the federal bench in 1980, she served as a King County Superior Court judge for the State of Washington.

Judge Rothstein has trained judges and lawyers in many countries helping to improve the rule of law and the role of an independent judiciary. She has presided over many complex and controversial criminal and civil cases. She has served on a variety of committees including the Federal-State Relations Committee of the United States Judicial Conference and the Ninth Circuit Standing Committee on Gender, Race, Religious and Ethnic Fairness.

Judge Rothstein is a frequent lecturer and is a member of the American Law Institute. She is a Commissioner on the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. She serves on the Judicial Advisory Board of American Society of Internationa

Judge

U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington

1980 - Current

Assumed senior status on September 1, 2011.

Director

Federal Judicial Center

2003 - 2011

Assistant attorney general and chief trial attorney

Consumer Protection and Antitrust Division, State of Washington

1968 - 1997

Judge

Superior Court of the State of Washington, King County

1977 - 1980

Adjunct professor

University of Washington Law School

1975 - 1977

Attorney

Private practice, Boston, Massachusetts

1966 - 1968

Harvard Law School

LL.B. (1966)

Cornell University

B.A. (1960)

American Law Institute

Member

Current

National Historical Publications and Records Commission

Commissioner

Current

Judicial Advisory Board of American Society of International Law (ASIL), the Board of the Rule of Law Initiative (ROLI) of the ABA, the Judicial Advisory Board of the Sedona Conference®; the Board of the Institute of Judicial Administration (IJA) at NYU Law School and the Board of the Avon Global Center for Women and Justice at Cornell Law School, National Academy of Science’s Committee on Science Technology and Law

Member

Current